Zynga To Lay Off Over 300, Acquire NaturalMotion

Zynga has announced that it plans to lay off around 314 employees, as part of cost-cutting measures. The company did not state where the jobs would be cut, however it did say it expects to generate savings of as much as $35 million in 2014 before taxes.

Zynga also announced that it will be acquiring NaturalMotion for $527 million. NaturalMotion developed the mobile games CSR Racing and Clumsy Ninja, but it also created the human physics engine Euphoria which has been used in Grand Theft Auto V and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

“We are committed to refining our skills in the art and science of building new hit games and in 2014, we will move aggressively into new genres that align with the timeless, entertainment categories that consumers care about,” Zynga CEO Don Mattrick said in a press release. “Our market is growing as measured by device, audience and dollars and we have the privilege to compete in one of the fastest growing parts of the entertainment industry.”